The earliest period of Māori settlement is known as the "Archaic", "Moahunter" or "Colonisation" period.

The eastern Polynesian ancestors of the Māori arrived in a forested land with abundant birdlife, including several now extinct moa species weighing from 20 to 250 kilograms (40 to 550 lb).

The Department of Native Affairs was renamed as the Department of Māori Affairs.

Many New Zealanders regularly use Māori words and expressions, such as "kia ora", while speaking English.

Māori are active in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, with independent representation in areas such as media, politics and sport.

By the start of the 20th century, the Māori population had begun to recover, and efforts have been made to increase their standing in wider New Zealand society and achieve social justice.

Traditional Māori culture has thereby enjoyed a significant revival, which was further bolstered by a Māori protest movement that emerged in the 1960s.

Disproportionate numbers of Māori face significant economic and social obstacles, with lower life expectancies and incomes compared with other New Zealand ethnic groups.

They suffer higher levels of crime, health problems, and educational under-achievement.Migration accounts vary among tribes (iwi), whose members may identify with several waka in their genealogies (whakapapa).In the last few decades mitochondrial DNA research has allowed an estimate to be made of the number of women in the founding population—between 50 and 100.are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.The Māori originated with settlers from eastern Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages at some time between 12 CE.In 1947, the authorities determined that a man who was five-eighths Māori had improperly voted in the general parliamentary electorate of Raglan.